FIG. 1 is a flow chart depicting a conventional method 10 for fabricating for a conventional magnetic recording transducer including side shields. For simplicity, some steps are omitted. Prior to the conventional method 10 starting, underlayers such as a leading shield may be formed. The conventional method 10 typically starts by building up material for a pole, such as a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) pole, via step 12. Step 12 includes forming a trench in a nonmagnetic layer, such as aluminum oxide. Nonmagnetic side gap/seed layers and magnetic pole layers may also be provided. For example, a Ru seed layer may be deposited and a high saturation magnetization pole layers may be plated. In addition, a portion of the magnetic pole material may be masked. The portion of the magnetic pole material in the field region may be removed using a wet etch and a nonmagnetic layer deposited, via step 14. Thus, only the magnetic material in the pole region remains. The main pole then undergoes a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process. The CMP removes the portion of the pole material external to the trench in the nonmagnetic layer.
An α-carbon hard mask is provided for the pole, via step 18. The exposed aluminum oxide nonmagnetic layer is wet etched, via step 20. The α-carbon hard mask provided in step 18 protects the pole during the wet etch in of step 20. Thus, a trench is formed around a portion of the pole near the ABS location. The side shields are then provided by refilling at least part of the region opened by the wet etch in step 20, via step 22. The side shield undergoes its own, separate CMP, via step 24. Processing may then be completed. For example, the α-carbon hard mask is removed and a trailing edge shield and gap may be formed.
FIG. 2 depicts plan and air-bearing surface (ABS) views of a portion of a conventional transducer 50 formed using the conventional method 10. The conventional transducer 50 includes a leading shield 52, side shields 54, Ru side gap layer 56 which is deposited in the trench, a pole 58, top gap layer 60, and trailing shield 62. Thus, using the conventional method 10, the pole 58, side shields 54, and trailing shield 62 may be formed.
Although the conventional method 10 may provide the conventional transducer 50, there may be drawbacks. Formation of the conventional transducer 50 may involve numerous steps, some of which may be complex. As a result, fabrication of the conventional transducer may take a longer time than desired to complete. In addition, more complicated processing may be more error-prone. The performance of the conventional transducer 50 may thus be compromised. Further, the materials around the α-carbon mask (not shown in FIG. 2) may polish at different rates. Thus, the flatness of the pole 58 and side shields 54 may be less than desired. This may be seen in FIG. 2 in which a portion of the side shields 54 is higher than the top of the pole 58, while another portion is lower than the tip of the pole. The removal of the α-carbon hard mask may also introduce issues. The α-carbon residue may accumulate at the corners of the pole 58 during removal. These residues may introduce asymmetries in the transducer 50 and adversely affect downstream processing. These and other issues may adversely affect performance of the conventional magnetic transducer 50.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method for fabricating a transducer.